Honeycomb: The World Beyond vs Subnautica & Similar Games
What critics and players compare it to
| Comparison | Who said it |
|---|---|
| ”Above-ground Subnautica with bioengineering and hoverboards” | Rock, Paper, Shotgun (November 2023) |
| “Stardew Valley meets Starfield” | PCGamesN (November 2023) |
| “A little No Man’s Sky in all the scanning and discovery alongside hints of Subnautica” | ProRogueBear (September 2026) |
| Subnautica, Planet Crafter, Scars Above | The Scarlet Seeker (September 2026) |
| “Subnautica on land”, “Subnautica went cozy”, “Starfield done right” | Steam reviews, launch week |
| ”Planet Crafter vomits in this game’s face” | A negative Steam review |
Players on the Steam forum asked the same thing in plainer words: “Is it me or does this game remind me of Subnautica? But on land instead.”
Where it is like Subnautica
- Single-player survival on an alien world, with no co-op.
- Scanning builds your knowledge: every plant and animal fills a database.
- Modular base building from prefab rooms. Alidove: “more similar to building in a game like Subnautica than it is to building in a game like Grounded.”
- A story that pulls you forward, with voiced lines and a mystery about the planet.
Where it is different
- No killing. Frozen Way’s product owner: “The basic premise is there’s no killing in this game.” Dangerous animals are tranquilised or avoided; running out of health means a knockout.
- Bioengineering is the core loop. You crossbreed flowers and herbs, graft trees and hybridise animals. See the crossbreeding page.
- Befriending animals. A wildlife cam tells you how to earn each animal’s trust.
- Oxygen is not a constant threat. Rock, Paper, Shotgun: “Unlike in Subnautica, you won’t be constantly at risk of suffocation.” O2 only matters in toxic air and underwater.
- Immunity instead. Pathogens in the air drain Immunity outside your base.
- Mostly on land, with an aquatic zone that links the land zones. A negative review found it “even more linear and without an ocean to explore”.
Why Valheim and Subnautica show up in searches
Google Trends lists Valheim and Subnautica as rising searches next to Honeycomb in September 2026, the same week the game launched. People are comparing it with the survival games they already know.
If you liked Subnautica, will you like this?
Reviewers who liked it call it relaxing and pretty, with interesting fauna and flora. The complaints are about polish (fast decay, controls, a hoverboard that throws you off) and the lack of co-op. The free demo carries its save into the full game, which is the cheapest way to find out.
Reception numbers are on the review page.
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